Christmas special: Don't get attached
by Zestylicous
Summary: AU World war II As a nurse during the war Sakura knows not to get attached. But when she meets a certain dying young man how else can she react?


**I don't know why I wrote a sad fic on Christmas... and don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. **

**I guess this idea for a one shot just got in my head and got stuck there. I had to get rid of it somehow. **

**Anyways...**

"Nurse Haruno?"

Sakura turned, wiping her hands on her apron, staining the dirty white with more red.

"Yes?"

The head nurse frowned, her lips drawing her wrinkles down with them, "We've got a special case. There's nothing we can do. All he needs is some comfort before passing."

Sakura nodded, the news of another soldier's eminent death only another tear at the end of the day. Each night she cried her eyes out. Everyone one did.

"I understand, which bed?"

"Bed seven." The head nurse nod once then turned to the next problem on her heavy plate.

Sakura looked to bed seven, the one with privacy curtains. The deathbed. Only those who had no chance were put there. She finished wiping her hands with deliberate slowness and started to the bed, skirting around the bed's all filled with the dead or nearly dead.

Sakura, one of the more skilled nurses, had been put on the front line hospital were the demand in helping hands had been the most. As each day passed injured soldiers cluttered the rooms in the hospital leaving either in a truck that took them into the main hospital or in a makeshift body bag. Men passed under her hands with the hours. She was so hardened to their pain that she was afraid that she had lost the ability to feel.

Today was Christmas. Sakura received no presents; neither did the rest of the nurses. Though, in their spare time they made Christmas pins for the injured. They needed it the most. In a time meant for merriness and family, the soldiers were screaming in pain and dieing in the snow. Sakura had no time for Christmas.

Those screaming around her needed her. And now a few minutes would be spent with bed seven.

With a stony face she drew back the thick red curtains and drew them shut after her. She had sat in the hard chair before she glanced at the patient.

Her eyes first went to the crisp white bandage around his stomach wound (stomach wounds were fatal nearly every time) then to the soldier's ripped and dirty uniform (A Christmas pin next to his heart), then to his nametag (to identify the bodies too mangled to see the faces)…Uzumaki Naruto….

"So…are you going to look at my face or not?"

Sakura jolted, hearing the deep voice. Her eyes immediately locked onto the soldier's pale face…Naruto' s face. He was handsome, a face meant for smiles and joking. His blue eyes were startling, so deep that you were swimming…and drowning.

His mouth opened, "Man…you're so damn beautiful."

Sakura kept her face smooth, "Hello, Naruto. My name is Nurse Haruno."

Naruto chuckled, wincing as it shot pain through his stomach, "Will you tell me your first name?"

Sakura ignored him, and with hands that were nervous with nothing to do, began to unwrap the bandages around his stomach. As her hands routinely went around his stomach, then reaching under his back, she tried to ignore Naruto's gaze on her pink hair. She jumped when she felt a hand on her head.

"Pink hair…" She looked up at him, while keeping her face down, "One of a kind."

"My mother…" She started, not looking at him, "had red hair and my father was so blonde that his hair was nearly white. So…I got pink."

He laughed, a pleasant sound that warmed Sakura's icy heart.

"Tell me more."

Sakura stopped her motions and looked up at his face, into his eyes, "More?"

He nodded, nearly childishly. Sakura dropped her head to hide the emotion in her eyes.

"I was born seventeen years ago…March 15th. My family was rich but the war changed all that. My father…was the nicest man you'd ever meet, he sent so much to the army for free. It ruined him. My mom was so pretty, and was the same as father, she threw herself into charities. They both worked themselves so hard. From their examples I decided to do… the same…"

Sakura had finished unwrapping the bandages and was stilled, her words falling silent. Naruto tried to glance down but Sakura was already rewrapping the wound, as tight as she could.

"That bad huh?"

Sakura shook her head, "No, you're perfectly fine. You'll be out of here in no time."

Which was true…the beds were never left filled for long, and in one way or another Naruto would leave this place.

"So…how about you? How old are you?" She asked, trying to hide that her hands were shaking.

"Oh, I'm eighteen, already two years in the war. I snuck in early." He added conspiratorially, grinning, "Um…my mom looked kinda like you. My dad was war hero, died when I was born I didn't know him at all. I miss my mom so much…"

Naruto trailed off, emotion seeping into his voice.

Sakura was silent, thinking out his mother. Soon a telegram would come to her door….

"Can you please tell me your name?" Naruto pleaded after a silence.

Sakura shook her head, her eyes watering. It was one of the rules. Never tell the soldiers your real name, don't get attached…never, ever, get attached.

The strip of bandage was used up and she secured it to the rest of the white cloth, wrap tightly around Naruto's stomach…maybe tight enough keep his life from slipping out, to keep those blue eyes shining.

Naruto winced, "Ah, does it have to be that tight?"

Sakura nodded, a thin smile plastered on her face, "It keeps the blood from moving to the wound."

Naruto smiled back and leaned onto the bed, which had been adjusted to let him sit comfortably. He closed his eyes and Sakura took the opportunity to study his face…If only he would live to see the next day…he would have made a good father.

"Hey, Haruno-san…" Naruto opened his eyes, "When I get out of here…will you marry me?"

Sakura gasped, her eyes locking with Naruto's, "What?"

He grinned, "I'm not that bad am I? And…I think you're really beautiful. So… will you?"

Sakura bit her lip and nodded. If only…

Naruto smiled and leaned back again, "I'm glad…"

He was quite for a long time and Sakura was seized with vicious panic. Was he dead? He couldn't be dead! In that moment all the rules Sakura clung to, all the precautions she had taken to avoid being truly hurt were gone from her thoughts and replaced by an overwhelming dread. Not him. Please not Naruto.

"Sakura!" She yelled, grabbing his shirtfront, "My name is Sakura!"

Naruto's eyes slowly fluttered open, a small smile adorning his face.

"Sakura… that's a really nice name…"

Again his eyes shut.

"Sakura…When I wake up, will you be here?"

Sakura nodded, tear flowing freely down her face, "I will! I promise!"

Naruto smiled, "Don't cry Sakura. Please don't. I don't want you to cry."

Sakura shook her head, "I'm sorry!"

Naruto only smiled and was quiet, "I…think…I love you Sakura."

And, surprisingly Sakura found that she already loved Naruto back. She couldn't not love him.

"I love you too…Naruto!"

Naruto sighed and his limbs seemed to settle into the bed. Sakura's eyes widened and in a moment of desperation leaned forward and placed her lips on his. His lips were cold…so cold.

She lifted her lips when he didn't react.

"No! Naruto!" She gasped and pressed her lips on his again fiercely.

Again and again she kissed him, hoping like in a fairy tale he would wake up and kiss her back.

Only when he didn't and only turned colder did Sakura stop kissing him, drawing back and staring at his still face. For once her heart throbbed in pain, bleeding from exposure. Naruto… he was dead. Sakura clenched her teeth together, staring down at her blood stained hands.

She didn't move for a long time. But, as she always did, she finally got up and drew the curtains back and walked down the row of dead and dieing, not bothering to hide the tears drying on her face.

She really would have married him.

**I hoped you liked my sad Christmas special! Idk why I chose sad...**

**Oh well, Review!**

**Zesty**


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